Cars and pedestrians often have to share a roadway. Unfortunately, these interactions have catastrophic results when vehicles and pedestrians collide. It is important that both drivers and pedestrians are aware of each other and carefully share the road. A federal agency is preparing to help cities prevent accidents between cars and pedestrians. For Houston residents, this information is especially important.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released statistics that indicate pedestrian accidents are on the increase. In 2011, 4,432 pedestrians were killed by vehicles. This number is up from three percent in 2010 and eight percent in 2009. Most of the fatal accidents occur in larger cities and 70 percent occurred at night. In light of these alarming rates, the NHTSA is initiating new safety and education programs to attempt to reverse the trend.
The NHTSA has created a $2 million dollar grant to help educate pedestrians and drivers alike on how to safely share the road. The agency wants to focus on the cities with the highest fatalities: Atlanta, Ga., Dallas, Texas; Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Fort Worth, Texas and Houston, Texas. The states have until Aug. 30 to apply for the grants which can be used for education on pedestrian safety and enforcement of current and future safety initiatives. The agency hopes that the new initiatives will lower the fatality rate and create a safer environment for both drivers and pedestrians.
When a person is struck by a car, the injuries can be serious and in the most tragic cases, fatal. If someone is involved in such a car accident the victim can explore various legal options. Victims could be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other expenses incurred as a result of the accident.
Source: Cars.com, “Department of Transportation: Everyone Is a Pedestrian” Jennifer Geiger, Aug. 08, 2013